just a member since last week and already a problem with my Passat GLS 1.8T 2003.

I am experience vibrations when I am at a stoplight or have my brakes applied when in D or R. I had my front axles replaced last month and since then I am experiencing vibration in the car when at stop in D and R. My first thought where motor mounts. So I took the car back to the repair shop which installed my axles and they couldn't find anything wrong with the car, but they remounted the front motor mount, but nothing changed. After driving for two weeks and still experiencing the vibration I took the car back again to the shop to let them check the car again also the front axles which they installed. But no result, and still the annoying vibration in D and R at stop.

Last week I drove to Denver and when acceleration on the interstate I also expericed vibrations at full acceleration in 2nd gear between 5000 and 6500 rpms. So this time I took the car to my local VW dealership here in Boulder, they checked again my car and told me, nothing is wrong with it (they did not charge my anything, which was nice) but they also felt the vibrations in D and R (so something I wrong with my car). I also had a chance to drive another Passat 2003 1.8t they had on the lot which was fine in D and R.

What should I do? Do you think I should change my front axeles, perhaps the repair shop just installed some cheap aftermarket axles which are bad? Did anyone had similar problems with their Passats? Do you know any good repair shops in the Denver area?

I had a similar issue with my 99 Passat 1.8t...unfortunately it eventually turned out to need a full transmission replacement (under warranty -thankfully!)

Initially it was a vibration whenever I was stopped at a light etc. Almost like the car was straining to roll forward even though I had my foot on the brakes.

The dealer drained the tranny fluid and called me immediately to tell me the fluid was a mess and that I needed a new transmission. My car had about 50k on it when all this went down...hopefully your issue isn't quite this serious!

ASW in broomfield, like gragravar has mention is a good shop. They changed management a few years back, and since then, they have been top notch. APS is also a GREAT shop, tell them you are a member of RMCB5 and they will take GREAT care of you!!!

You guys are really great and thanks a lot for recommending Autobahn Premier Service! They are very good and super friendly. The best shop in the Denver - Boulder area. I'll go to them again for my 60k service.

They actually discovered that the shop in Boulder (Go Motors), where I went to change my front axles in November, installed some low quality axles which only costs around 100$ to 150$ (and they charged me over 500$). So every time pressure was applied to the front axles (while the brake was applied) the old axles tend to bend forward and backward. So just by changing the axles back to original VW parts cut the vibrations in terms of intensity in half . Great job!!! The VW dealership in Boulder even didn't noticed the wrong parts in my car. I still have some minor vibrations when in D or R, but I think this is a normal for an automatic 1.8t and I can live with it. It might be a torque converter issue, but for now I am fine with it. Are some other 1.8T automatic VWs and Audis experience the same, especially in cold weather or when the engine is still cold?

Glad to hear it worked out, both in terms of finding a shop you can trust (APS) as well as a relatively straightforward solution. I'm not surprised Gebhardt didn't notice the problem. I had my Jetta there one time for scheduled service and they ignored some virtually bald tires. So much for a worthless checklist that a brainless minimum-wage tech signs off on. Better to have someone like Randy (who is an enthusiast himself) look at the car.

P.S. I might have missed it, but why did you have the axle changed in the first place? Were you already experiencing a vibration problem then? If not, is there any chance the original shop (Go Motors?) totally misdiagnosed it to begin with, not to mention selling you crappy & overpriced parts?

I know you have the issue figured out but I will tell you first hand that the guys at ASW are really good. They have never steered me wrong on my A4 or now with my S4. Co owner Brian is a really good guy and takes the time to go over in detail what they did, much like the other Euro Specialty shops in the area.